Health Coach Spotlight: Rose

Omada health coaches are a foundational part of our program. They provide guidance, support, and accountability to our participants that is critical to their success. These coaches come from diverse backgrounds and live across the country. Many have experience as dietitians, fitness professionals, or other expertise relevant to teaching our participants how to live healthy, sustainable lives.

In 2018, we’ll be spotlighting Omada coaches. They are as important to our program, and our participants’ success, as any line of code or sleek tech feature, so we’d like to highlight some of the amazing work they are doing while offering support and providing care.

First up is Rose Essex, a registered, licensed dietitian and Certified Diabetes Educator from Beaumont, Texas.

What led you to health coaching?

The early years in my career were spent working as a clinical dietitian in hospitals and dialysis units. While I loved working with these patients, my true passion lies in prevention.  I wanted to work with individuals to help prevent diseases, instead of only treating them once they’d passed that point.

What is your most memorable coaching experience?

That is easy! I had a participant that was incredibly successful and loved the Omada program. She felt so strongly about it that she actually became a Certified DPP Health Coach and now works at her local YMCA! She is now sharing her knowledge and  helping others make positive lifestyle changes in order to reduce their risk of developing diabetes. I felt like a proud mother!

How do you make a personal connection with the people you coach?

I like to let participants know that I face the same daily struggles that they do: I enjoy dining out, I don’t always feel like being active, social outings are difficult for me to navigate, it is difficult to find enough time in my day, and knowledge doesn’t ALWAYS give me willpower. But, it is important to continue working at it each day in order to achieve my goal of living a long and healthy life!

What are the most common setbacks that people face in your region, and how do you address them?

I think the setback I see most often (and I feel it is a common setback in all regions) is navigating social situations, especially over the weekend. Many folks do well all week long and may see a decrease in their weight. They then regain that weight over the weekend. For most, It has to do with the lack of structure, more eating out, and celebrations that focus on food. I address these issues by encouraging continued meal prep over the weekend, reviewing menus prior to dining out to make healthy choices, and eating a small healthy snack prior to attending celebrations.

How has coaching impacted your life?It also allows me to work remotely in order to be here for my family and continue to do the work that I love!

What is your best advice for someone who’s trying to start a lifestyle change program like Omada?

It is important to begin by making small, sustainable changes in your daily life. Choose one thing that you feel is important to change, set a SMART goal around it, and build on changes from there. Also, be sure to reach out for help and support!

When working on weight loss, remember that it is about more than making wise nutrition and exercise choices. Sometimes, we need to take a step back and evaluate other aspects of our lives. Are we getting enough sleep? Are we under a great deal of stress? We may need to address these issues FIRST in order to see the progress we are looking for in our weight-loss efforts.

“I love to prepare this soup on Sunday to have lunch for the week!”

Ingredients:

1 Rotisserie Chicken (skin removed and deboned)

Vegetables of your choice (ex. asparagus, green beans, carrots, kale etc…)

5 cups Chicken Broth (Unsalted, Organic)

⅓ c Quinoa (optional)

Directions:

1. Bring chicken broth to a boil as you wash and chop your veggies.
2. Add vegetables to broth and lower to simmer.
3. Add cooked chicken and simmer  for 20 minutes until vegetables are tender.

*If adding quinoa do so before adding veggies.